Bolsonaro narrowly leads Lula as Brazil extends runoff voting
Brazil's Supreme Court extended voting in the presidential runoff by two hours as Flávio Bolsonaro narrowly led incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with heavy rain cited as a reason for the extension.
Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered voting in the presidential runoff to be extended by two hours on Sunday, as Flávio Bolsonaro narrowly leads incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the race for the presidency. The decision extends polling time in a contest that remains too close to call in the early stages of the count.
The extension came after Bolsonaro filed requests for voting to be prolonged by two hours in cities in the states of São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina. He argued that heavy rain had prevented voters from turning out. The requests highlight how weather disruption on polling day has become a point of contention in an election already marked by sharp rivalry between the two candidates.
Separately, the local electoral court ordered the immediate restoration of 100 per cent of the municipal bus fleet and issued an arrest warrant for the municipal transport secretary, Pablo Souza. He is accused of an electoral offence and of disobeying court orders. The warrant could not be carried out, because Souza is in Paris on what the city government described as an official mission and is not expected to return to Brazil until Monday.
The bus fleet order and the warrant point to a wider dispute over transport resources during the vote. Public transport is often a practical concern for voters in large Brazilian cities, and any reduction in service on election day can affect turnout. The court's intervention signals that the electoral authorities are treating the issue as a matter requiring immediate action rather than a routine administrative question.
The runoff pits two rival candidates against each other in a contest that has drawn close attention both at home and abroad. Lula is seeking to remain in office, while Bolsonaro, whose family name is closely associated with the country's right, is running to take the top job. The narrow margin reported in the early hours of voting means that the final result will depend on the remaining votes and on how the extended polling hours are used.
Electoral authorities have not, in the reporting available, provided a final tally, and the extension applies to specified locations in the reporting described. Further results and any legal challenges arising from the extension or the transport dispute are yet to be confirmed.
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